Makeawish.org.nz
“A wish is not a fleeting gift - it’s a carefully planned journey, designed to complement a child’s medical treatment, and to give them hope, strength and joy they need to keep fighting their illness.”
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Alan Brame CEO
ake-A-Wish New Zealand creates life-changing wishes for critically ill Kiwi tamariki, replacing fear with excitement, sadness with fun, and anxiety with happiness.
Alan explains the Wish Journey – “A wish is not a fleeting gift – it’s a carefully planned journey, designed to complement a child’s medical treatment, and to give them the hope, strength and joy they need to keep fighting their illness.”
These wishes range from building a bespoke bird aviary for a boy with a brain tumour, to tracking down the perfect Mini Lop bunnies for a girl recovering from a kidney transplant. A wish can help to add some colour back into the life of a young person whose childhood has been impacted by critical illness.
The need is still great.
Following a 30-year career with KPMG in New Zealand, China and England, Alan Brame wanted to put his skills to good use in the charity and notfor-profit sector, and this year stepped down as chair of the Make-A-Wish New Zealand Board to take up a new position – that of CEO. “I love being involved in the day-to-day affairs of the organisation and working with our talented staff, wonderful volunteers, partners and donors. It’s very rewarding to see the joy wishes bring to critically ill children and their families. They provide children with hope and some fun, a respite from the day-to-day grind of medication and hospital visits.”
“We currently have 323 children waiting for their wish to be granted; the most we have ever had.” Bell Gully’s summer interns have volunteered their time at Make-A-Wish New Zealand. Dani ClementsLevi, a graduate in the Auckland litigation team, said about the opportunity, “Spending the day at Make-A-Wish New Zealand was an incredibly rewarding experience. We learnt about the positive impact the organisation has on the children, their families and the wider community. The team at Make-A-Wish New Zealand are dedicated to granting every eligible child their wish, and each Wish Journey is specifically tailored to the child’s needs and wants.”
“We spent a day wrapping Christmas packs for medical staff who the organisation had worked with throughout the year, and we had the opportunity to learn about some of the latest wishes that had been granted. There was a real variety - from trips around New Zealand, to attending musicals, meeting sporting legends, and even a sleepover at the zoo! The experience was so inspiring that I returned as a regular volunteer while I completed my last semester at university.” The Bell Gully team provides legal advice to Make-A-Wish New Zealand on a pro bono basis. Most recently, our lawyers have been reviewing its privacy practices to ensure it is operating in line with best practice in New Zealand.